That was the reaction from H. Martin Lancaster, president of the North Carolina Community College System, when Duke Power today (Monday, Oct. 4) rolled out the North Carolina portion of its multi-million dollar Community and Technical College Grant Program.

Duke Power will fund grants totaling up to $3 million annually through June 30, 2009 to community colleges within its service area and others that do significant training for major industries served by Duke Power. The focus of the grant program is on training, retraining and other efforts to revitalize manufacturing and related businesses.

"Duke Power has always been a strong partner with community colleges and we are excited about the expansion of our community college grant program in North Carolina," said Tony Almeida, Duke Power's vice president of economic development. "Community Colleges are the workhorses for North Carolina's industrial training efforts and our plans to provide an additional $3 million annually to help take these training programs to the next level in our service area will directly benefit our state's struggling manufacturing sector and drive economic growth."

Jim Fain, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Commerce, participated in today's announcement at Forsyth Technical Community College. He said, "We must have well-educated workers to compete in a global economy for tomorrow's jobs. This grant program and the partnership among Duke Power, the North Carolina Community College System and the North Carolina Department of Commerce will help ensure that we remain competitive and can continue to attract well-paying jobs to our state."

Speaking from the perspective of a community college eligible for the new program, Forsyth Tech President Gary Green said, "North Carolina Community Colleges and Duke Power are natural partners in promoting the economic growth of North Carolina communities. Duke provides critical infrastructure; community colleges provide skilled people. In Winston-Salem and the Triad, Forsyth Tech is developing a workforce with the advanced skills needed for the R&D, production, and service sectors. We are a committed partner with Duke Power, ensuring that today’s students and workers will be ready for tomorrow’s jobs, and appreciate the company’s generous support of community colleges."

Duke Power, a business unit of Duke Energy, is one of the nation's largest electric utilities. In 2004, Duke Power celebrates 100 years of service. The company operates three nuclear generating stations, eight coal-fired stations, 31 hydroelectric stations and numerous turbine units.

Forsyth Technical Community College serves Forsyth and Stokes Counties. It is one of the largest community colleges in North Carolina and serves a large and growing segment of the population seeking to acquire career-oriented education to become more qualified and marketable in today's increasingly demanding workplace environment.